Turkmenistan

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has fired Agriculture Minister Merdan Bayramov after a poor grain harvest. The wheat harvest in the country fell 25% short of the 1.6mn tonnes target set for 2012. Bayramov was replaced by his deputy Rejep Bazarov. Other officials working in the agricultural sector were also replaced. The announcement was made by Berdymukhammedov during a cabinet meeting held on July 6. This event further affirms our long-held expectation that authority will remain firmly in the grip of Berdymukhammedov over the course of our forecast period, given the relatively capricious nature of the dismissal.

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